The dead too need privacy

Here is a family fighting for the privacy of their deceased daughter. Internet privacy will take new turns after the battle of this California family and the state legislative system.

The Catsouras family approached the court of law when the photos of their beloved daughter’s fatal car accident started spreading rapidly on the Internet, two years back. Mortally wounded Nikki’s pictures have spread so quickly that the key word Nikki Catsouras shows about a million results, with a number of sites showing the car crash pictures.

What might have been the family’s reaction on seeing the photographs? I can’t even think about it, as the photographs are extremely upsetting.

The case has ignited a debate over the right to privacy for the deceased.

The spreading of Nikki Catsouras’ photographs exposes the darker side of Internet and makes the whole Catsouras family relive the death of their daughter, again and again. By displaying the disturbing and unidentifiable condition of Nikki’s body (she suffered a massive head injury), the whole family is made to repeatedly go through the horrifying experience.

I am not delving in to the details of her accident, or what made such an incident happen. But spreading such photographs on Internet should be banned by the court of law, so as to maintain the privacy of the dead, as well as the living family member s of the deceased.

PS - Praying for Nikki Catsouras. May her soul rest in peace.

I humbly request the readers not to search for Nikki's car crash photographs.

Some untold cruelties

A mother deserted by her children; most heartbreaking example of the use and throw culture of 21st century.

I was about to get in to our mess hall when I found her walking towards the other side of the hall to reach her room, in the Old Age Home nearby. She had a small hump-like growth on her back that symbolized the pains that she had suffered for the well-being of her family, her kids. And finally, at the age where she needs the love of her kids, she is all alone in the old age home.

Absolutely “useless” for her kids now!

I am single, yet can see clearly through my mind’s eye, the hopes of a mother, right from the moment she knows that she is going to bring another life into this world. Any toil becomes insignificant before her kid’s happiness. With all the hopes and aspirations she raises her kid up, in the hope of seeing her child as the best human being on earth.

But, once her birdie gets wings to fly high, the poor mother is discarded and simply thrown away in to the darkness of an old age home. Just as one throws away a tissue paper after use! How pitiless!

There is yet another group of parents who sadly opt for an old age home after suffering a series of horrible treatment from their children who purposefully forget what have done for them in the past.

I remember a movie ‘Baghban’ which clearly depicted the pangs of the parents on getting dumped by their kids, for whom they had lived the lion’s share of their life. I have always felt that every moment in the movie is true to the core, as you can see many living examples of Raj Malhothra and Pooja (the charecters portrayed by Hemamalini and Amithab Bachan) in our daily life.

The most tear-jerking sight from the old age homes is the visit of these so called ‘proud children’; the happiness of these moms when they see their kids and the heartbreaking sight of seeing tear –filled ears , as their children leave.

These parents spend their days and nights in the reminiscence of the moments that they had spend with their family, in the hope to be with them at least for a day, before death. But their hopes are never fulfilled as the children never bother to turn back to look at their parents.

I always wonder what the situation will be, when these ‘proud children’ grow old. May be they will be dumped to a worst situation than these! Donno!